Mark W. Earley, former National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) chief electrical engineer and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) staff liaison, was recently presented the Richard G. Biermann National Electrical Code Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Earley worked for NFPA since 1986 and served as staff liaison and secretary to the NEC Correlating Committee from 1989 until his retirement in August 2019. He co-authored NFPA’s reference book, Electrical Installations in Hazardous Locations, and has served as contributing editor to NFPA 70E, Handbook for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Earley’s achievements in the electrical industry include a distinguished service award from the U.S. National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission, the Meritorious Service Award from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the award for Outstanding Service to the Electrical Industry from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
“Mark has served as an outstanding expert, consistently demonstrating his commitment to the development, promotion, and advancement of the NEC,” says Christian Dubay, vice president of engineering at NFPA. “NFPA is extremely pleased to honor Mark with this award for his exceptional accomplishments. His understanding and passion for the code-making process will continue to serve as a model for others.”
The award, created in 2016, honors the memory of Richard G. Biermann, former chair of the NEC Correlating Committee. Biermann’s service on the NEC included serving as chair of Code-Making Panel 16 and as a member of several other code-making panels. He was a member of the NFPA Standards Council and Board of Directors. In 1995, Biermann received the Paul C. Lamb Award in recognition of his outstanding service to NFPA. Biermann, who represented NECA, ran a successful electrical contracting business and during his tenure as chair of the correlating committee, devoted at least one day per week to the NEC. This award honors outstanding volunteerism on task groups, code-making panels, and the Correlating Committee, and in the promotion of the adoption and application of the NEC during the membership adoption year of the code.
